The Surprise of the Rogue Scientist
by Altra Palantir
Summary: When Janeway and Chakotay briefly meet a scientist at the new deep-space station, they don't count on the lasting effects that encounter will have...


Captain's Log Stardate 56501.4  
  
As we travel to the dedication ceremony of Starfleet's new Delta Quadrant Space Station, the crew has a lot of catching up to do. This is the first time in the four years we have been home that every one of Voyager's crewmembers that made it back to Earth is once again back on board. I must say, I hope they are enjoying this little trip as much as I am.  
  
"Captain Janeway? Commander Chakotay?" asked the Denobulan scientist, excitedly.  
  
Janeway smiled, "Pleased to meet you, Mr…"  
  
"Lasaat," he replied still smiling profusely.  
  
"Well, Mr. Lasaat, what is it that brings you to this station?" she asked.  
  
"My research, among other things," he replied, grinning like the Cheshire cat, "As well as the desire to meet the crew of the famous Voyager."  
  
Janeway smiled, but cringed inwardly. It was a bit tiresome hearing about the famous Voyager crew for four straight years, but being the ship's captain, she had no choice but to grin and bear it. Chakotay's bemused glance showed her how much he sympathized.  
  
"What are you researching?" he asked.  
  
"At the moment, the physiology of several Delta quadrant species, among other things. And I was hoping I would have a chance to discuss your observations, if you aren't too busy, of course."  
  
Janeway and Chakotay glanced at each other, conferring silently. Chakotay decided he didn't like the way the scientist was looking at them. The conversation turned towards the Delta quadrant, and he began to feel a little more at ease.  
  
"Oh! I need a break from all of this!" Janeway moaned, taking a sip of her coffee.  
  
"You aren't the only one." Chakotay replied, rubbing her shoulders.  
  
She set the mug down on her ready-room table, "Maybe we could do something about that." She suggested, playfully turning around to face him. "We could take a shuttle, get away for a little while."  
  
"Are you sure Tuvok wouldn't call security on us?" Chakotay asked, "taking out an unauthorized shuttle."  
  
"Hey, you're forgetting something!" she retorted, putting her arms around his neck, "I authorize the shuttles."  
  
He pushed her hair behind her ear. "I suppose you're right," he replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.  
  
  
  
"We're nearing the coordinates of the nebula, Kathryn," Chakotay said, "Shall I put it on screen?"  
  
"Why not?" she grinned back at him. Where the nebula should have been there was nothing. "What's going on?"  
  
"No wonder. Our sensors are all out of alignment!" he exclaimed. "I have no idea what our current position is."  
  
"The Bermuda triangle." Janeway replied, almost to herself. "An area in the Atlantic Ocean on Earth, where thousands of ships were lost because their compasses stopped working," she explained, when she caught his puzzled expression.  
  
"Let's just hope we're not lost for too long." Chakotay joked. "Someone might miss us."  
  
"Well, If we set the auto-pilot going straight for long enough, I'm sure we'll get out sooner or later," she replied.  
  
"I can't the engines are down." He moved to another console. "All systems are shutting down."  
  
"Warning, Life Support is shutting down." The computer informed them monotonously.  
  
Horrified, both Janeway and Chakotay began coughing and gasping for air. They scrambled to find the right console, and reinitialize the systems, but it was no use. Before they could first Janeway, and then Chakotay blacked out.  
  
"I do hope you're feeling better, Captain," said a vaguely familiar voice. Janeway blinked and slowly came to her senses. It was Lasaat who was speaking. "Do you have any idea what happened to you?"  
  
"Everything just simply began shutting down for no reason," she replied.  
  
"I'm no engineer, so I can't help you there, but I'm glad I happened to find you," he replied.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked, looking around.  
  
"My ship. I happened to be out doing some research, when I stumbled upon your completely powerless ship." He paused, "Now, I'm glad I came to investigate."  
  
"Thank you, Where's Chakotay? Is he all right?"  
  
"The Commander is doing fine, he should be coming around shortly."  
  
Lasaat proved to be right, and neither had any injuries more serious than a few bruises. While they were in sickbay Lasaat's engineer found the source of the problem, and surprisingly it turned out to be nothing more than a minor power glitch. They were able to fly the shuttle back to Voyager.  
  
"Chakotay, we are not telling the Doctor about this." Janeway said, as they landed in shuttle bay one. "I'm fine, you're fine, and I don't need to spend any more time in a sick bay."  
  
"Agreed," Chakotay grinned.  
  
"Captain Janeway! Just the person I was looking for," Admiral Paris called.  
  
"Admiral! How nice to see you." Janeway replied, "How have you been?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I just got back from a visit with my son."  
  
"How are Tom and B'Elanna? I haven't seen either of them since Voyager got back from her last mission."  
  
"They're fine. Miral's turning out to be a very bright little girl, she already knows her alphabet. B'Elanna's due in a couple of months, and they say it'll be a healthy baby boy."  
  
"That's wonderful, have they chosen any names?" Janeway smiled.  
  
"Not yet, Captain, I wish I had only come here to chat, but Starfleet has sent me with an important message for you." He replied, almost reluctantly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Do you remember the dedication ceremony of that space station Voyager went to, about a year ago, I'd say?"  
  
"Yes, Why?"  
  
"There's an investigation being conducted, it has to do with the practices of a research scientist named Lasaat. I'm under the impression that you and Commander Chakotay met him."  
  
"Yes, I think we did, briefly."  
  
"Apparently something may have happened around that time. That's why Starfleet has ordered about half of Voyager's crew back to the station for questioning. I'm afraid I don't know much else. The transmission was rather vague," he explained.  
  
"I understand, have they been notified?"  
  
"Yes, as many as possible."  
  
"And when do we leave?"  
  
"0800 tomorrow."  
  
Janeway smiled wryly, "Of course."  
  
  
  
Personal Log, Captain Kathryn Janeway Stardate 56824.7  
  
Starfleet's vagueness has always been a sore point for many Captains, myself included, but this time the Admirals have out-done even themselves. They're sending me, and my ship, into this investigation completely blind. I don't even know who's accused of what, except for Admiral Paris's assurance that Voyager's crewmembers are only potential witnesses. I can't shake the uneasy feeling this gives me, though.  
  
"Captain, we're being hailed on a Starfleet channel," said Lieutenant Harry Kim from Ops.  
  
"Respond."  
  
"Captain Janeway, my name is Commander Tairen, I am the chief investigator for this case," the man who appeared on the viewscreen greeted her, "I'm glad you could make it on such short notice."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Commander Tairen," she smiled in return.  
  
"Docking port one is free, and is standing by for you. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable in our main lounge, I do have a few questions to ask, but those can wait until you've had some time to relax."  
  
"Thank you," she replied. She turned to her helmsman "Mr. Paris," she said.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Tom replied.  
  
"One more thing, Captain, Would you and Commander Chakotay assemble a party immediately, and come join our team? There are a few things here you'd want to see for yourself," he added, a little uncomfortably.  
  
"Done." Chakotay replied, glancing curiously at his Captain.  
  
  
  
"Here's what we've found in Lasaat's laboratory," said the ensign as he unlocked the room, "Feel free to look around, but don't disturb the evidence.  
  
"Of course," Janeway replied, forcing an anxious smile.  
  
"Why would the investigator call us here so urgently, and then not even come to greet us in person?" B'Elanna asked as his footsteps fell away.  
  
"I don't know." Chakotay said, "let's take a look around."  
  
Janeway peered curiously at some of the diagrams that were left running on the wall. Chakotay walked over to her.  
  
"What do you think he was trying to accomplish by this?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know, but it looks like it was against every principle we stand for." he replied, reading a few passages. She nodded absently.  
  
"Have you found anything interesting yet, B'Elanna?" Janeway asked.  
  
In a square bassinet, with a definite Starfleet feel to it, was a tiny, newborn, human baby boy. As Janeway paused to look at him, wondering what on earth he was doing in this room, he stirred and began to cry.  
  
"Shh…. It's okay." She comforted him, as she impulsively picked the child up. "Don't cry, It's okay." He quieted in her arms. She ran her fingers through the dark fuzz on his head that would eventually grow into hair. He simply looked so familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. He blinked sleepily a few times.  
  
"It looks like he's taken to you." Chakotay smiled, coming up behind her. At the sound of his voice, the child looked him straight in the eye. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled.  
  
"Oh, God! Kathryn, he has your eyes," Chakotay gasped in disbelief.  
  
"What?" the two women exclaimed simultaneously.  
  
B'Elanna scanned him with her tricorder. A confused expression clouded her face, and she scanned him again, this time sweeping the tricorder over her two commanding officers as well.  
  
"What the hell is going on here? This isn't possible," the engineer stated, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You aren't going to believe this, but he is yours. Both of yours."  
  
Both Janeway and Chakotay stared in shock, first at Lieutenant Torres, and then at the half sleeping infant.  
  
The investigator walked in, an almost grimly forced smile on his face.  
  
"Greetings, Captain, Commander, Lieutenant," he began, his smile quickly fading when he saw what Janeway was still holding. "Oh, I see you've… you've found the… the child," he said, nervously. The man cleared his throat and began again. "It's the reason we had to call you back here, you see…"  
  
"Where did he come from?" Chakotay cut him off sharply. "And why didn't you mention him to us in the first place?"  
  
"I was going to explain everything in due time, but I suppose now we must first decide what will happen to him."  
  
Chakotay looked at Kathryn, and she looked back at him, the same thought running through both of their minds.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I mean, what will happen to the child after Mr. Lasaat's trial, of course… he needs to have somewhere…"  
  
"What are you talking about, investigator? We're going to keep him."  
  
"What!" the man replied, "but that's insane, you can't possibly… I mean… you can't be serious… you have…"  
  
Janeway cut him off, "Do you outrank me?" she asked, sharply.  
  
"No, but…"  
  
"Then I would really like to see you stop her," Chakotay smirked.  
  
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," He finished lamely.  
  
"Do you have any children?" the seven-months-pregnant B'Elanna asked him.  
  
"No," he said.  
  
"Well, then it seems you have no idea what you are talking about." Chakotay replied coldly.  
  
"I'm sure we can figure things out on our own," Janeway said. "Whether or not he's evidence in your case, Investigator, he's coming back to Voyager with us."  
  
"You can't do that!" he protested.  
  
"Watch me." She hit her commbadge. "Janeway to Voyager, four to beam up."  
  
Janeway paced nervously around their quarters. Chakotay reclined on the couch, watching her.  
  
"What are we ever going to do with a baby, Chakotay?" she implored, looking from the sleeping infant to her husband, "I know nothing about children, and as far as I know, neither do you."  
  
"Thanks," he replied, "it isn't even if we had nine months to prepare for it either."  
  
She glared at him, "No, neither of us were consulted, were we." She sighed, "we should have gone to sickbay as soon as we got back to the ship."  
  
"Kathryn, we didn't know."  
  
"I shouldn't have let my guard down."  
  
"I wouldn't have thought anyone so close to Federation space could ever…" He replied, trailing off. "I let my guard down, too. I didn't like him from the beginning, but I ignored my gut feeling. In the Delta quadrant, I would never have done that."  
  
"It doesn't matter what quadrant we're in, there are people like Lasaat everywhere."  
  
"I know."  
  
"What are we going to do with him?" she sighed again.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The baby, not Lasaat," she amended quickly. "I couldn't give him up if I tried." 


End file.
